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It was already the end of the lunar October, and the sea breeze stung coldly against the skin.
The weather had just cooled down over the past couple of days, so there weren’t many people foraging at sea. Lin Qingmei carried her bucket and walked in the opposite direction from usual.
The beach at Linjiawan was quite large. If you walked east along the shore, you’d eventually reach the neighboring Hongqi Village.
The reef pile where Lin Qingmei previously drew water from was on the western side of the beach, near the mountains.
Green Crab +1
Flower Crab +2
Green Crab +1
Cat’s Eye Shell +5
Octopus +2
As she walked, Lin Qingmei kept collecting seafood. Whenever she spotted a crab, she would toss it directly into her space.
Crabs were especially aggressive. She had once forgotten to tie them up after foraging, and by the time she got home, the crabs she collected were already missing legs and claws from fighting.
Tying them one by one felt too troublesome, so it was better to throw them all into her storage space and tie them later at home.
Her storage space was in a frozen state—as soon as the crabs went in, they stayed in the exact condition they were in upon entry.
Green Crab +2
Sea Snail +2
Clam +6
Octopus +3
…
Just as Lin Qingmei was happily foraging along the beach, she was struck by a sharp, ripping pain in her chest, as if her heart was being torn apart. She collapsed on the ground, drenched in cold sweat. It took her quite a while to recover, but her instincts told her—she wasn’t the only one in pain.
Could this be some kind of twin connection?
Could it be that something had happened to her twin sister?
Far away in the Military Region Hospital in Harbin, in Northeast China, Lin Qinglan was being wheeled into the emergency room.
Two hours earlier, Lin Qinglan and Yao Yanfang had just finished breakfast and were about to head out when they were stopped by some army officers delivering a condolence payment.
“Hello, are you Ms. Yao Yanfang, the wife of Lin Jianshe? I am his commanding officer. We’ve come today to deliver the condolence payment to his family.”
“Hello, I’m Yao Yanfang, Lin Jianshe’s wife.”
“Lin Jianshe died serving his country. He is a hero, and we are here to pay our respects.”
The officers bowed deeply to Yao Yanfang.
“Ms. Yao Yanfang, here is Lin Jianshe’s condolence money—2,000 yuan. Please sign here.
Since Lin Zheng and Lin Qinglan are still minors, each of them is also eligible to receive 10 yuan per month.
This is the certificate confirming their status as children of a martyr.
They can use this certificate to collect the funds at the post office each month.
Also, this 2,000 yuan was gathered by Commander Lin’s subordinates.
We hope you’ll use it to raise the children well.”
(Note: Lin Qingmei is not listed on Lin Jianshe’s household registration, so she isn’t recognized as a child of the martyr, and the military largely doesn’t even know that he had a daughter back in his hometown.)
After signing, Yao Yanfang showed a clear smile as she accepted the condolence money.
Once the officers left, she began packing her things—preparing to return to her parents’ home.
Her hometown was in a village not far from the military base, only about half an hour away by bike.
“Mom, where are you going?”
Lin Qinglan stood by the door watching her mother pack. Something felt off—just a few days ago her mom had been crying hysterically, but now she was humming a tune, smiling cheerfully.
“I’m going to your grandmother’s house. Since you’re here, I need to talk to you.”
Yao Yanfang looked at her graceful daughter with some reluctance. But thinking about the hard days ahead if she kept the kids, she steeled herself.
For the sake of a better life, she had decided—the children would be sent back to the countryside.
“Mom… Are you really going to abandon me and my brother like people are saying?”
“Qinglan, I’m not abandoning you. It’s just that if you stay with me, life will be unbearably hard.
You’ve graduated high school, and soon you’ll be assigned to the countryside anyway.
So why not just send you both back now? You’ll get to reunite with your little sister.
You’ve always said you wanted to go home and see her—now your wish is finally coming true.”
“Linjiawan is full of your Lin family relatives. You’ll be safe there, and I can go to work in Harbin without worry.
Isn’t this the best of both worlds?”
Yao Yanfang said all this in the gentlest tone—but her words were utterly heartless.
She only wanted to calm Lin Qinglan down until they were out of the military compound—she couldn’t let anyone find out she was abandoning her children.
“Then how much money are you planning to give us for the trip?”
Lin Qinglan stared coldly at her mother.
She knew it—after Dad died, her mother wouldn’t be able to hold it together.
But she hadn’t expected it to happen so fast—barely a week had passed, and she was already throwing them away.
Going back home wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Their grandparents were both gone.
All that remained was their underage sister.
Her mother was truly heartless. This was no different from sending them to die.
“I remember your father once said a train ticket from Northeast China to Yangcheng costs 55 yuan, and from Yangcheng to Linjiawan another 26 yuan, for a total of 81 yuan.
Your little brother doesn’t need a ticket since he’s small, so I’ll give you 100 yuan.
Use it wisely, and it should be enough.
Once you get to Linjiawan, you won’t lack food.
Your grandparents definitely left money behind.
You can’t let that brat Lin Qingmei take it all.”
Yao Yanfang didn’t notice the utter despair in Lin Qinglan’s eyes. She thought her calculations were perfect.
“Aren’t you worried we might get trafficked along the way?”
“Aren’t you worried that our little sister might be starving back home?”
“You got 4,000 yuan, and you’re only giving us 100 yuan?!
Is there an even more heartless mother in the world than you?!”
This was the first time Lin Qinglan had ever raised her voice like this—she practically screamed the last sentence.
“You think 100 yuan is little? My monthly salary is only 30 yuan!
Giving you 100 is already generous.
I don’t expect you to take care of me when I’m old—just take the money and go home obediently.”
As she spoke, Yao Yanfang finished packing and shoved the 100 yuan into Lin Qinglan’s hands, getting ready to leave.
“Whether I die now or go back and die later—it’s the same.
Dad, wait for me. I’m coming to find you.”
Lin Qinglan then turned and ran headfirst into the wall—completely determined to die.
She believed that once she was dead, someone from the military would take care of her brother, even if her mother didn’t want him.
“Ah! So much blood!
Yao Yanfang, what are you doing just standing there?! Hurry and take her to the hospital!”
Neighbors nearby had heard the argument and gathered to watch, only to witness Lin Qinglan’s suicide attempt firsthand.
Yao Yanfang panicked. Did everyone hear what she said to her daughter just now?
It was all that dead girl’s fault for shouting so loudly—she made everything so embarrassing.
Madam Peng, one of the neighbors, saw that Yao Yanfang wasn’t doing anything and was disgusted.
Her daughter was bleeding out, and she wasn’t even panicking—such a woman didn’t deserve to be a mother.
She called her grandson, who had also come to watch the commotion, and told him to run to the military base.
“Hammer, you run fast—go get your dad and have him send Lin-jie to the hospital immediately!”